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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23818480">Together</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/redangeleve/pseuds/redangeleve'>redangeleve</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anakin never fell in love with Padme, But nothing happened before they were adults, Destiny, Fix-It of Sorts, Happy Ending, Love at First Sight, M/M, Not Beta Read, Obi-Wan never said Anakin is dangerous, Obi-Wan saved Anakin from becoming Darth Vader, Romantic Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:49:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,211</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23818480</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/redangeleve/pseuds/redangeleve</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"The Jedi are not allowed to have feelings like love or hate," Obi-Wan explained, without stopping to stroke the boy's silky hair. "They are too strong and can easily tempt you to the Dark Side of the Force."<br/>"Then the code is stupid," Anakin decided in his childish way. "And I will not let it forbid me to marry you one day."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>333</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            A translation of

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23654500">Together</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/redangeleve/pseuds/redangeleve">redangeleve</a>.
        </li>

    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Together</p><p>"When I am old enough, I will marry you."</p><p>Anakin had been nine years old when he had said it for the first time to Obi-Wan. A blond, cute boy with big, blue eyes, in which the curiosity for a whole universe was written. Obi-Wan had been twenty-five at that time. A Padawan who had already experienced much with his master, who stood with both feet firmly on the ground and was sure to know where his fate would lead him. </p><p>It had been on the way from Tatooine to Coruscant when the boy had stood in front of Obi-Wan's bunk in the middle of the nightcycle. By day, Ani might pretend he was no longer a child, but now, in the dark of the night, without his mother and far from everything he knew, fear of the unknown took over and kept him from sleeping. Obi-Wan had been much younger when he had been brought to the temple himself. Though he couldn't remember what it had been like for him to spend the first days among strangers, he understood how lonely Ani must feel.</p><p>Nevertheless it surprised him that Anakin came to him of all people. He knew Qui-Gon or Padme much better from the days they spent together on the planet, while he had seen Obi-Wan only a few hours ago for the first time and had hardly exchanged more than a few words with him. But he had looked at him, again and again, in a way that had been almost scary for the young Padawan. So Obi-Wan had slipped aside on the narrow sleeping place and had lifted the blanket so the bony child's body could snuggle up to him. Anakin had trembled with cold when he leaned his head against Obi-Wan's chest and began to play with his fingers at the Padawan braid while Obi-Wan held him tightly to warm him and to make sure that he didn't fall from the narrow bunk. There had been nothing questionable about this gesture. He merely gave the boy comfort and protection that night, the more surprised he was, as the confession spilled over Anakin's lips.</p><p>"No", Obi-Wan had answered as quietly as possible, in order not to wake any of the other passengers, while he had stroked the dark blond strands from his face. "You will not. Perhaps you will marry one day if you don't join the Order, but I will become a Jedi, and the code forbids me to have any form of attachement."</p><p>Confused, Ani frowned. "Why that?"</p><p>"The Jedi are not allowed to have feelings like love or hate," Obi-Wan explained, without stopping to stroke the boy's silky hair. "They are too strong and can easily tempt you to the Dark Side of the Force."</p><p>"Then the code is stupid," Anakin decided in his childish way. "And I will not let it forbid me to marry you one day."</p><p>The boy's determination drew a smile from the Padawan. "Believe me, one day you will meet a girl and you will forget me."</p><p>Indignant Anakin put his head into his neck to be able to look Obi-Wan into the face. "I will never forget you," Anakin replied with conviction. "And I will marry you."</p><p>The young Padawan realized that there was no point in continuing to argue with the boy, so he said nothing more, but just kept stroking his hair until after a while he became calm and surrendered to sleep. </p><p>Sighing, Obi-Wan put his chin down on Ani's crown. Although he was sceptical about the Force that lay dormant in the boy, he had immediately succumbed to his childlike charm. He was different from the children in the temple, Obi-Wan had felt that immediately. It had nothing to do with the fact that he had the highest midi-chlorian values ever measured in a being. No, it was the way of Anakin personality. He was bright, curious and fearless and Obi-Wan admired that in the boy. Nevertheless, he had believed that if Qui-Gon Jinn was something like a father figure, a mentor for both of them, he would be more like the brother Anakin had never had. In Obi-Wan's eyes the boy looked up to him, wanted to be like him and in his childlike urge to be loved, he confused the feelings he had for the Padawan with the love for a partner. But that would change when they reached the temple and Anakin got in contact with other children again. Then he would have enough other things on his mind than Qui-Gon's apprentice. With these thoughts Obi-Wan pressed his lips on Anis bright strands, then he pressed the slim body a bit more firmly to himself and fell asleep a little later.</p><p>XXXXXX</p><p>In fact, their relationship became even closer after Qui-Gon Jinn's death when Obi-Wan accepted Anakin as his Padawan in his role as newly knighted Jedi Master. Though he often had doubts whether he was ready to train an apprentice, he saw no other option, since the council had doubts about Anakin's suitability as a Jedi. The boy might be hot-tempered and acted rashly, but Qui-Gon had been sure that Anakin was the Chosen One to bring balance to the Force, and Obi-Wan would do his part to fulfill the wish of his late master and train him as a Jedi. It was unavoidable that they spent much time together when they were sent on missions, and no matter how hard Obi-Wan tried to keep his Padawan at a distance, he realized that his efforts were not successful. </p><p>Only when Anakin reached puberty and saw Padme Amidala again due to an order of the council, Obi-Wan's prophecy seemed to come true after all. From this day on Anakin seemed to have eyes for hardly any other human and that was good, Obi-Wan thought. He himself had advised him to let off steam as long as he still could, before he too became a Jedi and was condemned to a life of chastity. It would be a hard road for the boy to court a queen, but it was better than to continue his pointless crush on his master. Still, Obi-Wan could not prevent jealousy from cutting into him like a laser sword whenever he saw the two together. For six years, he had been the most important person in the galaxy to Anakin. To be replaced now was hard, but necessary. </p><p>It was on one of their missions, far away from Coruscant on a barren ice planet, when Anakin said it again completely unexpectedly. Wrapped in their capes, and up to the head in isolating sleeping bags, they lay close together in the narrow cave of an icy mountain, to give each other warmth, while they waited for the blizzard to die down. Through a small gap in the ceiling a diffuse light penetrated into the interior, giving them air to breathe and serving as an entrance for the howling wind.</p><p>It could not be denied that Anakin had changed since the time on Tatooine. Almost every night he seemed to grow a few centimeters. Now fifteen years old and a quite gangly teenager, he was now as tall as Obi-Wan. The soft contours of his face gave way more and more to hard edges and he was obviously aware that he was attractive to members of the opposite sex, because his self-confidence had grown almost as much as his body. The bright, long hair of a child had given way to the short style of a Padawan, but it looked good on him and he wore his braid with pride. </p><p>"One day I will marry you, Master," he said with all the self-confidence with which he did everything else, so that the warm breath of air rose in a cloud.</p><p>"Oh?" Obi-Wan returned honestly surprised. Despite the long time since Anakin had left his homeplanet, he still reacted more sensitive to the cold than his master did. For this reason Anakin had leaned the back against his chest to warm himself, so that Obi-Wan couldn't see his face, but his tone was as self-confident as it was typical for Anakin. So many years had passed since the first time that Obi-Wan had almost forgotten that his apprentice had ever said these words. The furtive looks however had remained, even if Obi-Wan always pretended not to notice them. "I thought if you were going to marry, Padme would be the one."</p><p>Anakin snorted softly, which caused a new cloud to appear while he turned around awkwardly to look at his master. "Of course not. I have gained experience, just as you advised me to. But I will marry only you." </p><p>"And does Padme know this too?" Obi-Wan asked back with raised eyebrows. Ice crystals had formed in his beard and made it glisten unreal in the pale half-light.</p><p>"What do you think of me, Master?" Anakin returned indignantly. "I have never kept her in the dark about my plans."</p><p>His blue eyes were filled with the same determination at these words as they had been in the space ship, so Obi-Wan sighed involuntarily. Anakin had always felt stronger than any other Jedi he ever met. His heart was his greatest strength, but also his greatest weakness. Desire was not a foreign word for him and therefore Obi-Wan knew that he had changed in his eyes, too. He could read it in Anakins eyes when he looked at him. His hair had become longer since the Padawan braid had been cut off and he had grown a beard which made him look more mature and authoritative. Not that it had brought him anything in his realtionship with Anakin. The boy had no respect for anything or anyone, but the familiarity between them often made his master overlook it. With his thirty-one years Obi-Wan had arrived at himself and as much as he was reluctant to cause pain to his Padawan, he could not avoid to bring him back to the ground. "Anakin, you know that's not going to happen. Jedi don't marry."</p><p>But Anakin was not willing to listen to the lecturing of his master. It was as if a dark cloud had settled over the young Padawan's features as he burst forth with passion: "I don't care what Jedi do or don't do. I am no longer a child, so do not treat me like one. I know what I want, and I want you, and if I must, I will take on the whole council to marry you." The vibrations in the Force that Anakin sent out were so strong that the ice on the walls cracked threateningly and Obi-Wan was already afraid that the emotions of his Padawan would cause the small cave to collapse.</p><p>"Shh." Calming he moved so close to Anakin that he could feel his breath on his face, then he bent down to him and pressed his lips on his temple. "Anything you say, but sleep now. We must restore our energy so we will be prepared when the storm passes."</p><p>Anakin just nodded while he looked at Obi-Wan's face then he closed the distance to his master and lay his head against his chest as he had done as a child. This familiar position allowed him to relax and fall into a light slumber despite the cold. Obi-Wan, however, lay still long awake. He knew that he hadn't solved the problem but had merely postponed it. But he didn't have the strength anymore to argue with him further. All he could do was to hope that the time would change Anakin's view on things.</p><p>XXXXXX</p><p>With nineteen years Anakin had now the body of a man, but his temperament was still the same as a teenager. Trapped in the intoxication of his feelings he acted impulsively most of the time, without any reason. His outbursts were viewed with concern in the temple, he disregarded authority and more and more often he slipped away from Obi-Wan's control. Nevertheless, his master held on to his apprentice, desperately fighting against the pull that drove him away, although he secretly feared he would lose him to the Dark Side of the Force sooner or later. </p><p>"Anakin, let go of the hatred you feel," he conjured him when his Padawan had had another one of his violent fits. His body bled from innumerable cuts and wounds he had inflicted on himself while trying to avert the worst. Yet the room lay in ruins in front of him. There were shards and destroyed objects everywhere and still the Force was buzzing around them as if it was just waiting to bring down the walls as well. Unwilling to give up, Obi-Wan clasped the young man's upper arms with both hands while he tried to ground him, to act as his lightning rod, his anchor in the Light Side of the Force.</p><p>"I can't, Master," Anakin brought out between clenched teeth. "It seems to tear me apart from the inside." Obi-Wan could see he was suffering. His eyes glowed with pain. He trembled with tension and his hair was sweaty, as if the fight with his inner demon cost him all his strength.</p><p>"Stay with me, Anakin," Obi-Wan implored him, leaning his forehead against the young Padawan's. "Stay in the here and now. I am here to help you."</p><p>Anakin nodded, then he took a shaky breath and closed his eyes. The muscles on his arms swelled up as he tensed them, the hands clung to Obi-Wan's forearms and he gasped with exertion, his teeth grinding and the muscles in his face twitching as he struggled with everything he had. Obi-Wan could not tell how long it took. Minutes or hours, but it didn't matter. The fingers of his Padawan dug deeper and deeper into his arms, so that he thought he could feel his bones breaking under the pressure. He saw how Anakin trembled, how he moaned and cramped, but Obi-Wan didn't let go, remained steadfast at his side. The whole time he held his student until Anakin relaxed at some point and opened his eyes. Although he still breathed heavily, the pain seemed to have disappeared from his eyes. Instead there was suddenly a peace like nothing Obi-Wan had ever seen at him before.</p><p>"Thank you, Master," he said softly - then he bent over and sealed the words with a kiss. At first Obi-Wan was too perplexed to react, but when reality about what they were doing cut in, he ended the contact and retreated.</p><p>"Anakin," he said in a fragile voice. "You know we can't do this."</p><p>"I know, Master," his Padawan replied harshly. "But you have saved me. Without you, I would have fallen into darkness. It only makes my longing for you stronger - and I know you want it, too."</p><p>Obi-Wan neither confirmed nor denied Anakin's words. Instead he closed his eyes again and leaned his forehead against the one of his apprentice. He did not need to say anything, Anakin could feel it. Just like Obi-Wan had felt the pain and anger of his Padawan and had tried to take a part of it away from him. The invisible bond that the Force had woven between them had been there for a long time, and with each year that passed, it had grown stronger and stronger. But it could not be, it was not allowed. Obi-Wan was a man of principle. A man of honor. Anakin might have forgotten in his youthful recklessness what the consequences for their actions were, but Obi-Wan would not. If he forgot, Anakin would never become a Jedi Knight. So he would remain strong for his Padawan. Anakin was his apprentice and Obi-Wan his master, a responsibility he would bear as long as it existed and for this reason he would never give in to his feelings.</p><p>XXXXXX</p><p>It took another four years until Anakin was finally a knighted Jedi and Obi-Wan had never been prouder of him. Although Anakin would never be as calm and grounded as most other Jedi, he had passed the tests and had not fallen to the Dark Side. This was more than anyone but his master had expected of him. The self-confidence radiated from him like an inner glow when he returned from the initiation rite where his Padawan braid had fallen victim to the scissors and he looked better than ever. Maybe it was because he had finally reached his goal and no longer had to fight for recognition, that he seemed to be at peace with himself. </p><p>"Master," Anakin said when they were finally alone in his quarters and he took Obi-Wan's hand hesitantly into his own. "I have waited fourteen years for this day, and now that I am finally old enough, I ask you for the honor of marrying me."</p><p>A hundred different objections shot through Obi-Wan's head at that moment. First of all that the Codex was still the same, a wedding impossible for Jedi and the Order would probably reject them, but Obi-Wan did not name any of them. In his whole life he had never questioned the Jedi way, had always practiced renunciation. It might sound strange though he was connected to every being in the galaxy through the Force, but Obi-Wan had often been lonely. Nevertheless he had submitted himself, had subordinated his life to the way of the Order, but Anakin was never like that. Perhaps it was because he had been born as a slave, that he always fought for his rights, that he was never satisfied with not being able to have something. Since the day he had become Obi-Wan's Padawan, he had tried to make him submit, to accept that he could never have what he had put into his head as a child, but Anakin's determination had never wavered and the longer he had insisted on his wish, the more Obi-Wan had got used to the thought, but only in this moment it became clear to him that he had waited for fourteen years, too, to finally be able to answer this question with "Yes".</p><p>To hell with the Codex, to hell with the Order, only once in his life would Obi-Wan do what his heart advised him to do. No matter what the future brought, together they would defy all difficulties. These feelings, which reached Anakin through their bond, told him more than words could and before Obi-Wan knew it, Anakin had pulled him into his arms. The lips of his former Padawan pressed themselves on his with passion and Obi-Wan could kiss him back with the same intensity finally without feeling guilt.</p><p>XXXXXX</p><p>It was a simple ceremony in a small cantina on a godforsaken planet somewhere in the middle of nowhere where Anakin and Obi-Wan were finally married. Only a priest and a few random visitors witnessed the event. But more was not necessary. They needed no one to seal their bond. The only ones needed were themselves. Just as no one had been there when it began in a shuttle from Tatooine fourteen years ago, no one would be there now to see their journey continue. Together. Just as Anakin had always foretold.</p><p> </p><p>The End</p>
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